


lingua florum

by berryblues



Category: EXO
Genre: BaekYeol - Freeform, ChanBaek - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 17:35:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11491284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryblues/pseuds/berryblues
Summary: the language of flowers does not also reflect upon humans, mere vessels of beauty rather than the creator of it.byun baekhyun sees blossoms rather than faces, and translates his world into colors and meanings. but oftentimes, a flower is a double entrende instead. sometimes, flower petals go wrong.he saw a hybrid unlike any other in park chanyeol, wayfarer who wandered into his family's flowershop one clear day. a combination of lilies, hydrangeas, and hyacinths.what blooms here?





	lingua florum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lily/gifts), [Lea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lea/gifts).



> roughly written, softly spoken. a work in progress remains lacking of eloquence. please bear with me.

flower petals gone wrong. that was the first thought in baekhyun's head, when he glanced up from his vase. the bells at the door chimed with someone's arrival. would it be too cheesy to say that it was like the arrival of spring? there's that chinese idiom that speaks of second love as a blooming spring, isn't there? (byun baekhyun had known someone who had majored in chinese culture, before he dropped out of uni). but we digress. an errant thorn pricked his finger, and he looked down again at the fistful of stems he was attempting to tie with florist's twine. biting back a curse, instead he called out  
"welcome to byun blooms! i'll be right with you; please look around."  
  
the roses looked particularly lovely against the baby's breath, held up against the dim light of the shop. carefully, baekhyun looped a length of twine around the arrangement, but try as he might, the darn flowers kept slipping out from its grip. he dropped them all, and tipped over the vase for good measure. everything came crashing down.  
  
flower petals gone wrong. a holographic head of silvery purply pinkish hair peeked out from behind a particularly impressive display of lilies, with which it blended in grandly. he looks like a hybrid of the prettiest blooms, was baekhyun's second thought. time stopped (another cheesy depiction, we know), and even the glass vase slowed in its descent, enough so that it allowed itself to be caught deftly with large hands.  
"i may not be a florist, but even i know that neither flowers nor vases belong scattered on a tile floor."  
the saviour had a smooth voice, much deeper than his own. up close, he was even more beautiful. more so, baekhyun thought with a start, than the roses on the ground.  
"thank you," he mumbled, and knelt to pick up the fallen blooms. in his haste, the thorns cut mercilessly, and of course, baekhyun dropped them again.  
"you're working in a flower shop. don't you have gloves or anything specifically for times like these?"  
"i lost them ages ago."  
"well, if you work with flowers, i work with strings. my hands are pretty much callused over. i'll help."  
baekhyun picked up a stray leaf and watched the stranger bend down and carelessly gather up the arrangement.  
"what kind of job works with strings?"  
"that, my friend, is for me to know and you to figure out." he smirked, and handed the bunch to baekhyun.  
  
flower petals gone wrong. he had been watching seeds long enough, since he was two, to tell which had food dye in the stems, and which were truly bright. hastily the flowers were shoved back into the vase. baekhyun couldn't get away fast enough. he stumbled back behind the safety of the counter.  
"i'm sorry. thank you for your help. how can i assist you today?" the customer's questioning gaze was left unmet.  
"i actually don't really know. i want to pick out a bouquet for someone i like, but don't know how to express my feelings towards. what would you recommend?"  
back on familiar grounds. baekhyun almost sighed in relief. he knew the language of flowers.  
"from my experience, you can't really go wrong with roses, since they make pretty much every girl swoon, but in my opinion they're much too obvious and overrated. if you want to be subtle and also show that you care, i would go with either tulips or gladiolus flowers. tulips are another classic flower that come in various colours, gladiola are really striking in a bundle as well, if you don't mind being unconventional..."  
he was aware that he was rambling again but he couldn't seem to stop.  
"you know that in the language of flowers, gladiolus blooms, also known as sword lilies, represent faithfulness? i think that's a lovely expression, those are my favourites. i bet she would love to receive some of those, we have an excellent collection of soft pink ones that would look lovely with some light green ribbon and maybe a box of chocolates? the place across the street sells amazing milk chocolate truffles, and everyone loves chocolate and flowers right i mean --"  
"i'll take a dozen of the sword flowers." baekhyun was unceremoniously cut off.  
"okay, sir, which colour would you like?"  
"whatever you think is best. i trust you."  
his heart fluttered again. dicentra stood hanging at attention from the eaves of the shop.  
  
flower petals gone wrong. baekhyun efficiently wrapped this bundle up, along with the afore described green ribbon. all he could see was the customer's head of colours as he stooped down to look at a display of cards, and he took this time to carefully examine the myriad of hues. probably a mix of pink lilies, blue hyacinths, and hydrangeas. purity, playfulness, constancy, and heartfelt emotions.  
"your total is $16.99. will that be cash or card, sir?"  
"you really don't have to call me sir. i'm guessing we're probably around the same age, actually. i'm chanyeol. park chanyeol."  
"byun baekhyun. cash or card?"  
chanyeol handed over a 20.  
"keep the change."  
"thanks."  
"see you around, byun baekhyun." he tipped an imaginary hat.  
"i doubt that," baekhyun replied, after the door chimed.  
  
flower petals gone wrong. there was still some spilled water on the floor. he'd have to put a caution sign over that until he found a mop.


End file.
